Reversible head-free rail joint



25 and frog locations.

Patented Dec. 13, 1,9217.

UNITED. STATES PATENT oFFrcE.I

VICTOR C. ARMSTRONG, OF HACKENSACK; NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE RAIL-J OIN T COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

, A CORPORATION F NEW YORK.

REVERSIBLE HEAD-FREE RAIL JOINT.

Application led June 30, 1927. Serial No. 2G2,684.

This invention relates to an improvement in the head-free type of rail joint wherein the joint bar has an anchorage and loading engagement in the head fillet of the rail and 5 adjustable bearing engagement on the upper side of the rail flange.

In the head-free ty e of rail joint the distinctive structural c aracteristic thereof is to provide for an anchorage that gives the head of the bar clearance from the underside of the rail head and a loading engagement at the head Iillet of the rail, such a relation of the joint bar to the rail providing an effective way to assimilate loading l5 and deiiection forces to which a rail joint is subjected, and to bring the head of the bar to solid resistance to'load deflections. i'

Because of the special distribution of metal required in a head-free joint bar to establish the proper metal ratios whereby it most effectively will resist the loading and deiecting forces which concentrate at the head fillet of the rail it has been found difficult to adapt this type of joint'bar to switch Also, heretofore no special provision has been made in the headfree type of jointvbar to continue its use when such wear in the joint has occurred that the take up or adjustment has been ex` hausted. Accordingly, it is the purpose of the present invention to provide a modified form of head-free joint bar that will meet both of these conditions, that is, a head-free joint bar that can be used in frog and switch locations in the track and which also may be reversed when further adjustment is impossible, thereb greatly increasing the life of the joint, w. ile at the same time maintaining its head-free characteristic at all l times.

With these and other objects in view which will'readily appear to those familiar with the art, the invention consists in the novel structural shape herein illustrated, described and claimed and to illustrate the susceptibility of the invention to modification certain referred embodiments are illustrated in t e accompanying drawings, in whichz- Figure 1 is a sectional view of a headffree type of joint bar, of a vreversible construction' and having a symmetrical formation respectively above and below the middle line'or axis thereof.

tion 2, and a lower laterally enlarged foot portion 3. Considering the joint bar from the aspect of its initial application before undue wear or material adjustment have occured it will be observed that the upper latierally enlarged head portion 2 thereof is provided with an inner rounded bearing bulb or ball 4 whose curved bearing surface 5 is adapted to have an anchorage and bearing engagement in the varcuate bearing seat 6 provided by the curved head fillet 7 of the rail R. ln this construction the top surface 8 of the joint bar has a- -clearance or is free from at least the major portion ofthe fishing surface 9 at the underside of `the rail head. In these particulars the joint bar is the head-free type of `bar disclosed in thereissue patent of Thomson No. 15,773 granted February 19, 1924 and the lower foot .portion 3 of the bar has an inner and upper adjustment. on the upper side of the rail base ange as Wear occurs, thereby 'rocking or oscillating the bar inward with the coa/Sting bearing surfaces 5 and 6 acting as a fulcrum. This mounting and ad'ustment practically eliminates wear on the joint bar at its headl fillet engagement of ythe rail, but continued adjustment and use produces wear to some extent on the part 8a Vthat engages the upper side of the rail base iiange, which wear, in conjunction with the Wear which occurs in and on the upper side of they rail base iange, contribute, to the eventual exhaustion of the take up or adjustment for the bar.

Accordingly, to meet the condition just referred to, the present invention provides a novel formation for the lower foot portion 3 of the joint bar. This formation is in effect an enlarged bulb of metal at the bottom of the bar, which bulb includes an outer rounded bearing ball 4a, an inner enlarged heel projection 1() and a rail fiange engaging surface 8*. In the embodiment of the invention shown. in Fig. 1 the said lower laterally enlarged foot portion 3 having the,

structural elements referred to is intended Figurev 2 is a similar view showing the to'be a duplicate in shape, area and metal 110 lhaving the same radius. and other Ageneral ratio distribution to the upper laterally enlarged head portion 2, and thereby in balanced relation, thus? giving an Videal construction. .At the same time the outer rounded bearing ball 4a of the foot portion contour as the inner rounded bearing ball l4 when the rail flan e engaging surface 8 age andA bearing engagement with the bearing seat 6 of the head fillet 7. This alsoV has the effect of bringing a;r fresh unworn surface 8 over the rail base flange, thus restoring the adjustment or take up for the bar while not in the least interferring locations in track.

with its true functioning as a head-free joint bar. It also will be observed that the -lower laterally enlarged foot portion 3 is sub,

'surface adapted to-engage the upper side stantially within the plane of the' outer edge of the rail base flangeso as not tointerfere with the use 'of the bar in frog and switch By way of illustrating the range of modification that may be resorted to in carrying forward the 'inventionthere is shown in Fig. 2 ofthe drawings the reversible head-free joint bar designed in unsymmetrical shape so that the head and foot portions 2 and 3 thereof are not of duplicate area, contour and. metal ratio distribution, butare alike with respect to having the inner roundedV bearing ball 4 of the 'head portion-2 with'a Y slmllar radius and contour to 'the outer rounded bearin ball 4 of the foot portion *so that either t e ball 4 or theball 4'L may be seatedin the bearing, seat of the head fillet ofthe rail to carry .out the head-free functions of the bar regardless 'of whether the head for foot portions thereof are upper-- most. In other respects as to the detail elements thereof the modified form` of bar y shown in Fig. 2 is the same as the bar previously described and illustrated in Fig. 1 `of the drawings. p

.From the foregoing it is thought that the structural features and special advantages of the invention 'will be understood by those familar with the subject without further description and it-will of course be understood that chan es in the form, proportion -and minordetails of construction vmay be\ resorted to without departing from the .Spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

I claim y 1. A reversible head-free rail joint bar including'a web provided respectively wlth .upper and lower laterally enlarged head and -foot portions. each having a rounded bearing ball adapted tohave an anchorage and bearing engagement in the head fillet of the rail. 'Y

2. A reversible head-free joint bar including a web provided respectively with upperand lower laterally enlarged head and foot portions, each having a rounded bearing ball adapted to have an anchorage and bearin engagement with the rail head fillet an each having a rail flange engaging of the'rail base fiange.

3. A reversible head-free joint bar including a web provided respectively with upper and lower laterally enlarged head and foot portions, each having inner land outer projections and a surface between these projections which is adapted to engage the upper side of the rail base flange, one of the projections of 'the head and foot portions of the bar being ofA rounded formation and adapted to have an anchorage and bearing engagementA with the rail head fillet.

4. A headfree rail joint structure ineluding in combinationwlth the rail, a reversi- .ble joint bar provided with laterally en- I VICTOR c.I Iaimsfmoue` 

